Pattern mechanism of knitting machines



Nov. 7, 1950 F. LAMBACH 2,528,524

PATTERN MECHANISM OF KNITTING MACHINES Filed Aug. 18, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ,l ,3 ATTORNEY Nov. 7, 1950 F. LAMBACH 2,528,524

PATTERN MECHANISM OF KNITTING MACHINES Filed Aug. 18, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /66 64|NVENT0R @Ei FR/TZ LHMBHCH LJATTORNEY Patented Nov. 7, 19 50 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PATTERN MECHANISM OF KNITTING MACHINES Fritz Lambach, Tenafly, N. 3., assignor to Robert Reiner, Inc., Weehawken, N. J.

2 Claims.

The present invention relates toknitting machines, and more particularly to a pattern mechanism of a knitting machine.

An object of the present invention is to provide a pattern mechanism of a knitting machine which may be readily adjusted for various operations to be performed by a knitting machine.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a pattern mechanism of a knitting mechanism which may be manufactured at low costs.

A further object of the present invention is to improve upon the construction of pattern mechanisms of knitting machines as now ordinarily made.

With the above and other objects of the invention in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of various devices, elements and parts, as set forth in theclaims hereof, certain embodiments of the same being described in the specification and being illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a pattern mechanism of a straight bar knitting machine according to'the invention, 1

Fig. 2 is a rear elevational' view of the pattern mechanism of a straight bar knitting machine shown in Fig. 1, partly in section,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 1 in an enlarged scale,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the two halves pertaining to the main body of a cam of the pattern mechanism shown in Figs, 1 and 2, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a cam bit of a cam on the pattern mechanism shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring now to the drawings, Figs. 1-5 illustrate a pattern mechanism of a straight bar knitti'ng: machine. A control cam shaft I I!) is rotatably arranged in suitable bearings of the frame I I2 of the straight bar knitting machine. A pluralityof cams generally indicated by Him, II4b, I Mc, H411, iI ie, IM II4g is keyed to said control camshaft,

The control cam shaft H0 and the cams H 4a, IMb mounted thereon may be rotated step by step by the following pattern control mechanism: 1

One end of a connecting rod H6 is pivoted at I I8 to an arm I20 of a bell-crank lever I22 rotatably but axially immovably arranged on the control cam shaft III]. The other arm I24 of said bell-crank lever I22 carries a spring loaded pawl I26 arranged for engagement with teeth of a ratchet wheel I28 keyed to the control cam shaft III]. The other end of the connecting rod H6 (not shown in the drawings) is connected in a manner known per se with an actuating mechanism which, in turn, is controlled in a manner known per se by a pattern chain driven by the main drive of the straight bar knitting machine. (For example, the connection of the connecting red I I6 with the pattern chain and the actuation of said connecting rod IIB by buttons arranged on the pattern chain is described in detail in my copending application Ser. #743,938 filed on April 25, 1947, for a straight bar knitting machine; in said patent application Ser. #743,938 the corresponding connecting rod is indicated by'the reference numeral 2I8.) Each time, when the cone necting rod H5 is reciprocated, the control cam shaft Iii) is advanced one step by means of the pawl I293 cooperating with a tooth of the ratchet wheel I28. The control cam shaft IN} is held in its position by means of a spring-loaded index arm I3il swingably mounted on a shaft I32 carfied by the frame I I 2 of the straight bar knitting machine; said index arm I30 cooperates with the teeth of an index wheel I34 rigidly connected with the control cam shaft H0. 7

A plurality of spring-loaded cam followers I3Ba, i361), I360, seed, I36ejl36f, I36 spaced from each other by suitable spacers is swingably mounted on the shaft I32. Each of said cam followers I 36a, I351) is arranged for cooperation with an: associated cam I Ma, IMb as best shown in Fig. 1. The arm E38 of each cam follower I3Ii= has a pointed end I46 held in contact with the circumference of the associated cam I I4 by means.

of the spring I42 stretched between the other arm I44 of the cam followers I36 and a stationary point of the frame II2 of the machine. Guiding plates I45 secured to each side of the pointed end of the arm I 38 project beyond the pointed end for engagement with the side surfaces of the associated cam I! so as to prevent the pointed end I it from an undesired disengagement from the circumference of the cam H4. The arm I44 of eachcam'follower I35 is connected throughsuitable means, for example, through the medium of a Bowden wire MS with a mechanism of the straight bar knitting machine, the operation of which is to be controlled by the cams 4a., IMb of the pattern mechanism.

The cams II 4a, II Ib of above described pattern mechanism could be made in the customary manner of cams. However, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, each of.

3 said cams 411, N41: lowing manner:

Each cam II4 comprises a disc-like main body I50 composed of two halves I52, I54 rigidly secured with each other by means of screws I56 passing through bores I58 of said halves or segments. Each of said halves I52 and I54 has projections I60 or IE2 respectively for engagement with a recess IE4 or IE6 respectively of the other half whereby said two halves I52 and I54 are held in the proper position relative to each other. The two halves I52, I54 making up the main body I50 of each cam II4 are provided with a series of radially extending elongated projections or abutting means I68 arranged along a circle at a side surface of said main body I50. Furthermore, said halves or sectional members I52, I54 making up the disc-like main body I50 of a cam are provided with a. series of threaded bores I arranged along a circle. The longitudinal axis of each threaded bore I10 extends parallel to the longitudinal axis of the disc-like main body I59 and the center of each bore I10 is in radial alignment with the longitudinal axis of an elongated projection I68. Furthermore, a series of separate radially extending exchangeable cam bits I12, I14, i15, I18 is detachably mounted on the main body I50 of each cam II4. Each cam bit is provided with a recess 180 at its root capableof abutting engagement with an abutting projection I68 of the main body I50.

. is designed in the fol- Furthermore, each cam bit is provided with an aperture I82 for the passage of a screw I84, which may be threaded into a threaded bore I10 for securing the cam bit to a side surface of the disclike main body I50. Thus, the cam bits I12-I18 may be detachably mounted in a circular arrangement on a side surface of the disc-like main body I50 along the circumference thereof As will be apparent from above, the assembly of the series of cam bits I'M-I18 detachably mounted on the disc-like main body I50 constitutes a cam H4 of a certain shape. Said cam H4 in cooperation with the associated cam follower I 36 causes certain operations of a mechanism of the straight bar knitting machine at predetermined intervals.

It it is desired to change the operation of a certain mechanism of the straight bar knitting machine, it is merely necessary to loosen one or more screws I84, whereupon the respective cam bit may be shifted radially away from the center of the main body I50 until the wider portion of the aperture I82 is in register with the head of the screw I 84. may be removed from the main body by merely passing the cam bit over the head of the screw I84. Now the cam bit is replaced by an appropriate cam bit necessary for the altered opera-- tion of the knitting machine by carrying out the same steps in reverse manner. Thus, the cam bits may be readily exchanged or interchanged as the case may require.

It will be readily understood that the use of a pattern mechanism with a series of cams II4a, II 4b.. arranged on a control cam shaft IIO Thereafter, the cam bit body.

4 extending parallel to the main cam shaft of a straight bar knitting machine permits the arrangement of the cams near to the mechanism of the knitting machine to be controlled by such cams. Furthermore, if said cams II4a, II4b are equipped with separate exchangeable or interchangeable cam bits, the operation of a straight bar knitting machine may be readily altered within a short time, as it is merely necessary to exchange or interchange some of the cam bits in the manner described above and as it is unnecessary to remove an entire cam from the control cam shaft II0, which would mean a time consuming manipulation, if, for example, one or more of the cams arranged near the center of the machine would have to be replaced by another cam.

I have described preferred embodiments of my invention, but it is understood that numerous changes and omissions may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims Furthermore, it is understood that the pattern mechanism and/or the cam structure of the pattern mechanism described in the specification may also be applied to knitting machines of a type other than a straight bar knitting machine.

What I claim is:

1. In a pattern mechanism of a knitting machine a cam comprising: a disc-like main body, a series of abutting elements arranged along a circle at a side surface of said disc-like main body, and a, series of cam bits, each of said cam bits having an abutting surface in engagement with such an abutting element, and each of said cam bits being detachably secured to said disc-like main body.

2. In a pattern mechanism of a knitting ma chine a cam comprising: a disc-like main body having a series of threaded bores, a series of projections arranged along a circle on a side surface of said disc-like main body, a series of cam bits, each of said cam bits having a recess for abutting engagement with such a projection and having an aperture, and a series of screws, each of said screws passing through such an aperture of a cam bit and being threaded into such a threaded bore of the disc-like main body for detachably securing such a cam bit to the disc-like main FRITZ LAlVIBACH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:"

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

